Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to everyone who ran or walked in the Child Awareness Walk/5K Run on Saturday, April 28th in Hancock. We're proud that many of our patients participated in this event. Several of them placed within their age category: Beth Demory placed 3rd in the 26-35 group; Kirk Layton placed 1st in the 36-45 group; Paul French placed 1st in the 46+ and our own Dr. Hahn placed 3rd in that group as well! We're proud of you all and proud of our community for supporting this cause.

It's official - we're a home!

We wrote last year about our practice becoming a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). Just recently we earned national recognition from the National Committee  for Quality Assurance. This required our practice to reach and document certain benchmarks. Studies have shown that this model can cut medical costs, and lead to increases quality of care and satisfaction among providers and their patients. The article about Hahn and Nelson's recognition is here, and you can read more about the PCMH model in this article.

Dr Hahn's New Article in Maryland Academy of Family Physicians

In case you weren't aware, not only is your doctor an accomplished medical practitioner, he is also an avid promoter of the Ideal Medical Practice model that Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine exemplifies. His team at Oxbow has developed a state-of-the-art Electronic Medical Record software program that facilitates much of the record keeping at our practice. He's also the Western District Director of the Maryland Academy of Family Practice, and a member of their Technology Committee. And as you can see in this article, he loves to write about what he believes.

Tanning? Think again!

This time of year, I am still startled when I see someone with a golden tan. The first thing I think is, "Wow that person is so lucky - they got to beat the March doldrums somewhere sunny and warm!" The second thing I think is, "I wonder if they know how the sun damages their skin."
Sun damage is the number one cause of wrinkles. TANNING IS A SIGN OF SKIN DAMAGE. It's evidence that the sun has penetrated and damaged the skin's support structure. The ultraviolet rays of the sun damage fibers in the skin called elastin. The weakened elastin causes the skin to lose its elasticity. When the skin is stretched it loses its ability to rebound. The result of this is a wrinkling effect in areas of the face which are most usually stretched, like the eyes, mouth, and nose. This applies to damage your skin received naturally under the sun, or on a tanning bed. If you think tanning beds are safer than tanning under the sun, they aren't. In fact, most tanning beds emit mainly UVA rays — which may increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.


I don't want to appear vain, but people often mention that I look younger than my 56 years. I have used a sunblock for as long as they've been selling them: my skin moisturizer has an SPF of 15, and if I'm going to be out in the sun for more than 30 minutes, I apply a sunblock with at least 30 SPF. 


Now and then I'll use one of those self-tanning creams. The newer ones are good and moisturize your skin at the same time. Here are some reviews. I've tried the Jergen's, and at least for my skin, it looks good. 


So think twice before laying out in the sun or on a tanning bed. Do you really want the wrinkles that are inevitable, and maybe even flirt with skin cancer? The wrinkles will last a lifetime, whereas a tan only lasts a few days. 

Thought for the day

Political Cartoon: "Drip, Drip, Drip" by Matt Wuerker, Politico

Don't Drink that Soda!

I have to admit, there are times when I absolutely crave a Diet Coke's effervescent sweetness. However, that craving has been tempered more and more lately by bad news about drinking soda. We already know the toll that soda can have on those who are overweight, and we've seen people lose dramatic weight by simply dropping soda from their diet.


However, there is more we should all be aware of. I read this article the other day. Here's some of what I learned:

• Apparently the phosphoric acid in soda can lead to more rapid aging. A 2010 study found that the excessive phosphate levels found in sodas caused lab rats to die a full five weeks earlier than the rats whose diets had more normal phosphate levels. Too much phosphoric acid can challenge the heart and kidneys, lead to osteoporosis, and muscle loss.
• Did you ever wonder why colas are brown? It's nothing natural, that's for sure! Two contaminants in the coloring, 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, have been found to cause cancer in animals. Just 16 micrograms per person per day of 4-methylimidazole is enough to pose a cancer threat, and most popular brown colas, both diet and regular, contain 200 micrograms per 20-ounce bottle.
• Then there is Mountain Dew, the bad boy of all sodas. Its excessive sugar is well-known by dentists to cause cavities. And how about this? The BVO (bromated vegetable oil)  which is added to keep the flavoring from separating from the drink, is also used as a flame retardant in plastics! So while you might get some cavities from drinking the stuff, well, maybe you'll be able to take up firewalking.  Unfortunately, this chemical has also been known to cause memory loss  and nerve disorders. 

So what to drink instead? For starters, there is water. I'm one of those people, however, that just can't get excited about water. So if I want caffeine (which is half the reason I like my Coke), I drink coffee or tea, hot or cold. Then, if it's something sparkly and sweet that I want, I pour a Pellegrino or other sparkling water, and splash in some pomegranate or other juice. 

Spring into Spring!

Spring is coming, and I can already feel the energy. It didn't hurt that we had such a mild winter; personally, I didn't feel like hiding in my bear cave all that much this year. And now that spring is officially coming in just a few weeks, I see that new workout classes are springing up almost as fast as the crocus!

Rankin Fitness Center, besides their already popular Zumba class (Thursdays at 7:00), is offering several new classes. I've just updated our Yoga post to include their new Yoga classes:

• Gentle Yoga for Seniors on Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 am
• Yoga for Stress on Mondays at 7 pm
• Workout Yoga on Wednesdays at 7 pm

Also new at Rankin is Bellysima! I've been raving about this bellydancing class ever since I started taking it two years ago. Bellydancing isn't just about wearing a pretty hip scarf and shimmying, although it's definitely a part of it. Bellydancing will teach you how to isolate muscles that you didn't even know you had. Angela Petry's instruction concentrates on technique rather than fancy footwork and choreography, so you can really get to know your core. The class encourages grace, good posture and coordination. It's a fun class to take with a friend, so bring someone along! I think this is a wonderful class for teenage girls because along with everything else, it teaches girls to  be proud of their bodies, and to carry themselves well, all taught in a fun atmosphere. Because you'll be progressing with each lesson, rather than "dropping in," you should sign up for a session rather than a single class. Luckily, the Bellysima class is being offered at three different times, so you should be able to find one convenient for you:

Tuesdays 10:30-11:45

Wednesdays 3:30-4:45

Wednesdays 5:30-6:45 

Classes are $65 for an 8 week session for non-members, $32.50 if you're a member. If you just want to try the class, you can drop in for $10 (non-member) or $5 (member). 

Angela has a Facebook page, so check it out!

Rankin Fitness Center has some other ongoing classes, such as Judo, Silver Sneakers, and Weight Watchers, and of course, the wildly popular Zumba class taught by Rene Kesecker. Give them a a call at 304-258-555 or stop by. They have some great membership deals going on now too!